President Moon voices gratitude for special gift from Indian premier

A tweeter image showed South Korean President Moon Jae-in wearing a jacket presented by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed his sincere gratitude to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending special gifts.

"I would like to thank him for this kind gesture," Moon tweeted with a set of photographs uploaded on Wednesday. He was seen wearing sleeveless jackets. "These are modernized versions of traditional Indian costume, known as the 'Modi Vest', that can also be worn easily in Korea. They fit perfectly," Moon explained.

The "Modi Vest", better known as "Nehru Jacket" is a hip-length tailored coat for men and women. The modified version of traditional Indian formal dress was named after Jawaharlal Nehru, a former Indian premier from 1947 to 1964. Modi's version inherited the minimalistic designs of the Nehru Jacket from the 1970s but it is often designed without sleeves.

Moon was presented with four jackets in different colors -- charcoal, plum, navy and black. He put on charcoal-colored and plum-colored jackets.

Modi replied in his tweet: "Delighted to see my friend, President Moon looking so elegant in a tailored Indian waist-coat Jacket!" He said he wanted such simple gifts to remind Moon of the civilizational bond between South Korean and India.